Today, Matwork Pilates encompasses a wide range of styles, from Classical to Contemporary.

Typically in a Pilates class you will perform exercises that use your own body weight, or also gravity as resistance and occasionally a range of small props or apparatus as well. Using gravity or your own body weight might not seem like much resistance we hear you say...but when you are holding ideal alignment while performing the movements, you suddenly realise just how much work it is! People often feel they discover muscles they never knew they had!

You will find much variation in every class. Each of our instructors has a unique style and will create a class around a topic. While you will start to get to know some of the exercises well, each class will feel different. All will leave you feeling wonderful!

Frequently Asked Questions

I am a complete beginner. Where do I start?

We recommend you start with our Beginners Four Week Course. It's pretty fantastic, if we do say so ourselves! We provide two instructors and only take a maximum of 12 participants in each course. The course provides a slower pace, deeper knowledge and more hands on attention so you can maximise the benefits of starting a body-mind exercise program. Find out more here.

I’m Not Flexible and I Have No Core Strength! — Can I Do Pilates or Yoga?

Yes! Many people think that they need to be flexible and strong to begin Pilates and Yoga, but that’s a little bit like thinking that you need to be able to play tennis in order to take tennis lessons. Come as you are and you will find that Pilates and Yoga will help you become more flexible and that your core stability and core strength will naturally improve.

This newfound agility will be balanced by strength, coordination, and enhanced cardiovascular health, as well as a sense of physical confidence and overall well-being.

What Do I Need to Begin?

It is helpful to have a pair of leggings, or shorts, and a t-shirt that’s not too baggy. No special footgear is required because you will be barefoot. You can wear socks if you like but they are only required for Barre and Balance Play. If you decide to wear socks, make sure they are non-slip, or buy a pair from us at reception for $15. Bring a water bottle, or you can buy a bottle of water from us. You don't need your own mat. We provide mats and all other equipment for you.

How Many Times Per Week Should I Practice?

Pilates and Yoga are amazing—even if you only practice for one hour a week, you will experience the many benefits of the practice. If you can do more than that, you will certainly experience more benefits, far more quickly! Don’t let time constraints or unrealistic goals be an obstacle—do what you can and don’t worry about it. You will likely find that after a while your desire to practice expands naturally and you will find yourself doing more and more. At Sense of Space you are lucky enough to have a range of classes to chose from and we recommend aiming for three different classes per week for a balanced practice which will deliver the results you want. For example you might want to come to Pilates one day, Barre mid-week and yoga on the weekend. Find times you can work into your current schedule and commit to them, especially in your first 30 days.

How Does Pilates and Yoga Differ From Stretching And Other Forms Of Fitness?

Unlike stretching or fitness training, Yoga and Pilates are more than just physical postures. The physical practice is just one aspect. Even if this is the only aspect you care about, you will begin to notice other aspects improving also, such as your concentration, your breathing, your awareness and absorption in your practice. While these improvements start on the mat, they also begin to infiltrate the rest of your life when you aren’t on the mat and create profound benefits that help you live a more mindful and less stressful daily life.

Even within the physical practice, Yoga and Pilates are unique because we connect our mind, body, and breath during our movements. They are a thinking person's form of exercise. By focusing on our breath and our body, we cultivate awareness and concentration. By tuning into ourselves, we are practicing mindfulness for the duration of each class. People report feeling refreshed and renewed, even after a challenging class - your classes become like a moving meditation that you look forward in earnest.

Unlike other forms of exercise, Pilates and Yoga cultivate strength and stability from the inside out. In doing so, we strengthen and support all of our joints, improve our posture, our muscle balance and find that increased flexibility and mobility are side effects of gaining this deep strength. Your tight muscles are 'hanging on tight' for a reason and once you gain the specific strength that joint needs, those muscles find they can let go with minimal effort. No amount of stretching is going to make tight and weak hamstrings become more flexible. Once your pelvic stability and the muscle balance around your pelvis improves through your Pilates and Yoga practice, you will find that they naturally let go.

Many other forms of exercise that focus on training the visible, superficial muscles often think they are performing 'core strengthening exercises' such as holding planks for a really long time, or laying down and lowering both legs toward the floor in an misunderstood attempt to strengthen the abdominals, they miss the boat entirely. More often than not participants are strengthening faulty movement patterns and working the wrong muscles...in short they are simply layering more tension over the existing tension, weakening their core and putting their backs at risk of injury. Pilates and Yoga work from the inside out and in this way create life long improvements in stability, posture, strength and flexibility.